Sarawak to host 38th International Conference on Microelectronics

Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn (centre) together with ICM 2026 organising committee and event collaborators.

KUCHING, 1 September 2026: After over 3 decades, the prestigious 38th International Conference on Microelectronics (ICM) 2026 will be hosted in Sarawak from December 7 to 10, 2026 at the Borneo Cultures Museum, bringing together over 300 delegates including researchers, engineers, academics and industry professionals from the international microelectronics community to exchange expertise and explore developments shaping the future of the sector. 

Hosting ICM 2026 directly supports Sarawak’s development priorities under the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, particularly in innovation, digital transformation, human capital and advanced manufacturing. As Sarawak develops its semiconductor ecosystem, the conference will connect global expertise with local talent, research and industry, while advancing artificial intelligence (AI) as an accelerator for microelectronics development.

The conference will feature a broad technical programme comprising regular papers, special sessions, cross-society special sessions, an embedded workshop, live demonstrations, tutorials and a technical industry visit, creating multiple platforms for researchers and industry practitioners to exchange knowledge and explore emerging developments in circuits, systems and microelectronics.

Additional activities being developed alongside the main conference include a Sino-Malaysia workshop, CASS Standards workshop, and CAS Industry Forum, further extending ICM 2026 beyond the conventional academic conference format and creating opportunities for industry engagement, standards discussions and international collaboration.

ICM 2026 is supported by the wider IEEE Circuits and Systems community, with technical co-sponsorship from the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society and 13 IEEE CASS chapters worldwide. The conference has also received IEEE Xplore publication approval, while selected papers will be invited for extended submission to IEEE Transactions on VLSI Systems, Neuroelectronics, and the Journal of Integrated Circuits and Systems, subject to each journal’s review process.

“ICM 2026 is an important step towards the Sarawak Government’s ambition of building a high-income economy driven by innovation and technology,” said Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Sarawak, Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn. “For Sarawak to compete in the industries of the future, we must create opportunities for our people to learn from the best, participate in global networks and turn knowledge into real opportunities. ICM brings that global community directly to us, creating opportunities for our talent and industry to learn, collaborate and turn knowledge into new possibilities for Sarawak.”

“Winning ICM 2026 demonstrates the strategic value of attracting specialised international conferences that align with local development priorities,” said Chief Executive Officer of Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), Jason Tan. “The conference is expected to generate RM2.5 million in total estimated economic impact, but its greater value is what it can leave in the long-term. ICM can be a powerful catalyst to strengthen Sarawak’s growing electronics sector through new knowledge, connections and opportunities that continue well beyond the conference. BESarawak is proud to support legacy-driven events such as ICM 2026.”

“The next big step for AI is not only about smarter software, but also building better and more efficient technology to power it,” said IEEE CASS Vice President for Education and Communications and General Chair for ICM2026, Ts. Ir. Dr Fakhrul Zaman Rokhani. “ICM 2026 will explore how we can make AI faster, more energy-efficient and more sustainable through advances in microelectronics and hardware. Bringing these global conversations to Malaysia via Sarawak gives professionals and young talent in the region greater access to the ideas and technologies shaping our future.”

Organised by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Circuits and Systems Society (IEEE CASS), with the IEEE CASS Malaysia Chapter as a co-financial sponsor and active contributor to the organising committee, ICM 2026 is supported by the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD), Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Sarawak Microelectronics Design (SMD) Semiconductor Sdn Bhd, and Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak. The Academy of Sciences Malaysia is also participating as ICM 2026’s Science & Technology Partner.

Researchers, scientists, academics, entrepreneurs, engineers, policymakers and industry professionals working across circuits, systems and related technologies are invited to be part of ICM 2026 in Sarawak and contribute to the conversations, collaborations and innovations shaping the future of microelectronics. For registration, call for papers and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.ieee-icm.org